Peabody undergraduates hit the books to help young readers spell success

by Jessica Howard

A group of Peabody undergraduates is dividing time between writing lesson plans and writing words on campus sidewalks. Many students use the chalk "graffiti" as a method to tutor children with reading difficulties at the Peabody Reading Clinic.

Eighteen students are playing the roles of both pupil and educator while working at the clinic. They are paired with area elementary school students to hone the youngsters' reading skills as part of their special education studies.

By incorporating good literature, games and goals, the tutors address students' problem areas and work with them individually to improve their skills. The students spend one semester (24 hour-long sessions) with their tutors. The after-school sessions are held twice a week in the Kennedy Center. Depending on the severity of a student's reading difficulty, parents may choose to enroll their child for additional semesters.

Typical students range from kindergarteners to fourth-graders who have varying reading abilities. Some have Down syndrome, yet many have no diagnosed learning disorder although they do have a hard time processing what they read. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis and space for the program is limited.

The tutors are supervised by six Peabody graduate students, including Katie Schroeter, coordinator of the clinic. Schroeter previously worked in the clinic in supervisor and tutor capacities. This spring, she plans to complete her master's degree in special education with a focus on high incidences disabilities.

The Peabody Reading Clinic -- now in its fifth year -- was developed by program co-directors Douglas and Lynn S. Fuchs. The husband-and-wife team are professors of special education and co-directors of the Research Program on Learning Accommodations for Individuals with Special Needs at the Kennedy Center.

The basis behind the clinic's creation was twofold. The Fuchs observed many students with severe reading difficulties while working in the public school system; they also realized an opportunity for Peabody students to teach reading under close supervision.

"The students' needs weren't always met in schools, and there weren't many alternatives," said Douglas Fuchs. "We try to provide the children with structured explicit instruction, which research has shown to be effective."

The clinic prepares a special binder for each student, according to each one's needs and interests.

"The program is unique because materials are so individualized for the student," said Schroeter.

The tutors pull materials from the binder and develop lesson plans for each session. These responsibilities go hand in hand with what their Peabody professors are teaching them in the classroom. They receive practicum credit for their work at the clinic as part of their course's curriculum.

"We coordinate our expectations with the professor's expectations," said Schroeter.

The one-on-one approach has been extremely helpful for the tutors and students alike. The students get the full attention often needed to help them transform letters into words, and sentences and concepts into comprehension. The tutors benefit from their relatively slow immersion into the realities of teaching.

"This has been a great experience for me, working with one student," said tutor Alexis Nesbit. She is participating in the program as part of her "Instructional Methods" class.

The goal is to make the program "child friendly," said Schroeter. She said predictable text (text that rhymes or has an expected outcome), good literature and illustrations are essential in keeping a student's interest.

Students can choose to read from hundreds of popular children's books, including I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, It Looked Like Spilt Milk and Goodnight Moon.

Games like "Vocab Bingo" pound in the fundamentals of reading. Some tutors take their students outside to write letters and words on the sidewalk in chalk. Others play "letter sound" basketball, which allows students to take a shot each time they correctly identify and pronounce a letter. One tutor even brings a frog to the sessions to help entice her student to participate.

"We encourage the tutors to come up with their own materials," said Schroeter. "Those are really the best."

Added Nesbit, "[Working at the clinic] has taught me how important it is to present your material clearly and go back to the basics."

Success is measured with the "Curriculum-Based Measurement" system. At the end of each session, the children are tested on how quickly and accurately they read a passage. The students are timed for three minutes and the correct words per minute are tabulated and logged into a computer program. Scores are then plotted onto a graph so students can track their progress by themselves.

"If the children are not responding, we know it immediately," said Fuchs. "We make modifications until we see the desired progress."

Schroeter said the tutors are in constant communication with the parents. Before the tutoring begins, Schroeter meets with each student and his or her family. Each week, tutors send home progress reports with the week's objectives, activities and the student's progress. At the end of the semester, the tutor compiles a final report with a summary and suggestions.

"It's been phenomenal; the comments I get from parents are unbelievable. They are all so pleased with their tutors," said Shroeter.

Students are encouraged to set goals, and are awarded for improvements and good behavior with points. Those who accrue a predetermined number of points are rewarded with a trip to the "treasure chest" where they can choose from a variety of prizes.

The clinic is working towards being completely self-sufficient and charges tuition of $720 per student each semester. Five partial scholarships from the United Way, the Down Syndrome Association and a private donor are available each semester to assist parents with tuition. Fuchs said the Peabody Dean's Office provided the capital to start the program and continues to support the clinic.